How to Red Ribbon Diploma TOR Form 137

DFA now affixes ‘Apostille’ instead of ‘red ribbon’ as proof of authentication

Last 14th of May 2019, the Philippines officially became a party to the Apostille Convention, thus replacing Authentication Certification (also known as Red Ribbon) with Apostille as proof of authenticity of your documents while you are working abroad. This will not only make certification easier, but this helps in further strengthening relationship with other countries part of the Apostille Convention.

What is an Apostille?

Red Ribbon is an informal term used for certification, authentication, and verification of documents which usually stamped with red ribbon. This process of certification is usually done at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). The seal confirms that the documents are true, legitimate and genuine.

The Apostille Convention only applies if both the country where the public document was issued and the country where the public document is to be used are parties to the Convention

countries and territories where philippine apostille is accepted

1. Albania	51. Kazakhstan
2. Andorra	52. Kosovo
3. Antigua and Barbuda	53. Mauritius
4. Argentina	54. Mexico
5.   Armenia	55. Moldova
6. Australia	56. Monaco
7. Azerbaijan	57. Mongolia
8. Bahamas	58. Montenegro
9. Bahrain	59. Morocco
10. Barbados	60. Namibia
11. Belarus	61. Netherlands
12. Belgium	62. New Zealand
13. Belize	63. Nicaragua
14. Bolivia	64. Niue
15. Bosnia and Herzegovina	65. Norway
16. Botswana	66. Oman
17. Brazil	67. Panama
18. Brunei	68. Paraguay
19. Bulgaria	69. Peru
20. Burundi	70. Poland
21. Cabo Verde	71. Portugal
22. Chile	72. Romania
23. Colombia	73. Russia
24. Cook Islands	74. Saint Kitts and Nevis
25. Costa Rica	75. Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent the Grenadines
26. Croatia	76. Samoa
27. Cyprus	77. San Marino
28. Czech Republic	78. Sao Tome and Principe
29. Denmark	79. Serbia
30. Dominica	80. Seychelles
31. Dominican Republic	81. Slovakia
32. Ecuador	82. Slovenia
33. El Salvador	83. South Africa
34. Estonia	84. South Korea
35. Eswatini	85. Span
36. Fiji	86. Suriname
37. France	87. Sweden
38. Georgia	88. Switzerland
39. Grenada	89. Tajikistan
40. Guatemala	90. Tonga
41. Guyana	91. Trinidad & Tobago
42. Honduras	92. Tunisia
43. Hong Kong SAR	93. Turkey
44. Hungary	94. Ukraine
45. Iceland	95. United Kingdom
46. India	96. USA
47. Ireland	97. Uruguay
48. Israel	98. Uzbekistan
49. Italy	99. Vanuatu
50. Japan	100. Venezuela

What if the country is not an Apostille country?

If the country you are working in is not an Apostille one, you may contact the Embassy or Consulate of this foreign country and ask for alternatives. While there are different options by country, most of them will instruct you to authenticate requested documents by going to the Embassy or Consulate of the country of destination to have you documents legalized.

Due note that Apostille only applies if both countries are part of the convention. To know the list of countries part of the Apostille Convention, you may visit this website: Please visit this link: hwww.hcch.net (Visit the Official Website)

 Types of Documents You Can and Cannot Apostille

The Philippine Apostille is applicable to the type of documents that are deemed to be authenticated by the DFA:

1. Export Documents; 
2. Immigration Records; 
3. Notarized Documents; 
4. Barangay Clearances; 
5. Police Clearance; 
6. Medical, AIDS-Free Certificate; 
7. Court Decisions, Resolutions, Orders; 
8. PRC Professional Licenses, Board Certificates, Board Ratings, Certifications; 
9. LTO Driver’s License; 
10. NBI Clearances; 
11. Certificate of Employment/Trainings/Seminars, Baptismal Certificate and other documents issued by a private entity; 
12. DepEd Transcript of Records, Form 137, Diploma; 
13. PSA/NSO Documents; 
14. Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines – Issued Licenses; 
15. DSWD Clearance; and 
16. Business Registration and other documents issued by a Government Agency.

How to Apostille a document in Philippines (3 Easy Steps)

Fee is ₱100.00 per document (a document can be more than one page). Apostillizing Philippine document typically involves three steps:

Step 1: A fee for validation of each document;

Step 2: Duly fill out the Certificate of Authentication Request Form that includes the follow information:

Name of Requesting Country; 

Contact Details; 

Address as to where the documents should be mailed; and 

For documents considered minor, indicate the name of the individual requesting for the document(s).

Step 3: You can avail the apostille in the following branches:

• DFA-Aseana; 
• DFA NCR-Northeast (Ali Mall); 
• DFA NCR-East (SM Megamall); 
• DFA NCR-West (SM Manila); 
• DFA NCR-South (Metro Gaisano Alabang); 
• DFA San Fernando; 
• DFA Pampanga; 
• DFA Davao (SM Davao); and 
• DFA Cebu (Pacific Mall-Metro Mandaue)

Duly note that there is no need to set an appointment with DFA for their Apostillization Services. To know more about the Apostille, you may contact DFA

How much does an Apostille cost In Philippines?

An Apostille costs ₱100.00 for Regular Processing (four working days) and ₱200.00 for Expedited Processing (shall be released the next working day).

What is the different between notary and Apostille?

A Notary or notarized document is signed by a state official or a lawyer. The essence of this to validate the signer of the document, thus preventing fraud. Apostille, as previously mentioned, works as a proof of authenticating the notarized document. Apostillized document works as a validation that the notary stamp and signature is not fake.

Authentication of Documents for use outside Philippines

All document in the Philippines, from commercial, private to legal, can only be authenticated by the DFA. The authentication of these documents maybe done in the following branches of DFA:

Benefits of Working Abroad with Apostille Attestation

Not only Apostille can serve as an upfront and easy way to verify documents for international purposes, but the existence of Apostille can help in keeping international peace within foreign countries. Moreover, if you’re someone who’s going to use these Apostillized documents abroad, it creates a good impression to your employers that the country where you’ve come from is part of the Convention.

How to Red Ribbon College Diploma and TOR (Transcript of Records)

1. Prepare photocopies of your TOR and Diploma in 3 copies. 
2. Submit them at your College or University Registrar’s Office. They will certify them as true copies. 
3. Fill up the Authentication Registration Form and other forms the Registrar will give you. 
4. Pay the necessary fees. Usually P100 but it depends upon your school. 
5. Then go back to the Registrar to claim your certified TOR and Diploma. 
6. Go to CHED and present your documents for DFA Red Ribbon purpose. Fill up application for and pay the necessary fees.
7. CHED will give you a Stub that contains the date when you can pick up your Red Ribboned papers at the DFA. 

Note that my school is a private university. If your school is a public or a state university, I think you can directly go to your Registrar and they will be the one who will do the rest steps for you.

How to Red Ribbon Highschool Diploma and Form 137?

Step 1:

Prepare for your original and 2 photocopies of your highschool diploma and go to your registrar to complete the requirements of DFA for CAV (see them below). There are the same requirements for elementary diploma and form 137.

• Form 137 (Student Permanent Records) 
• Certification of Graduation 
• Diploma Special Order Number (if graduated in a private school) 
• Passport size Pictures (2 pcs) Fee P100

Step 2:

Go to DepEd and file your documents. Then, DepEd will forward them to the DFA for the final process of CAV. Again, they will give you stub containing the schedule and time when you can claim your documents at the DFA.

Step 3:

Claim your DFA authenticated certificates by attending your appointment written on the stub given to you by DepEd. Check your document for any mistaken information. That’s it. I hope you find no hassles and very long processing time from any office you go through this. Some DFA regional Offices now serve authentication services.